Officials said the search operation turned into an encounter after militants fired upon the forces. (Representational Image)

Srinagar: Two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir Tuesday, police said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Galoora area of Handwara, in the north Kashmir district, early this morning following specific information about the presence of militants there, police spokesman said. He said the search operation turned into an encounter after militants fired upon the search party of the forces.

The security forces retaliated and killed two militants, the spokesman said, adding some arms and ammunition were also recovered from the site of the encounter.

Both were affiliated with the LeT, he said. The spokesman said Furqan, a resident of Shartpora area of Langate in Kupwara, was wanted in a number of criminal cases. Liyaqat, a resident of Harwan area of Sopore in the neighbouring Baramulla district “had a long history of involvement in terror related activities and was wanted in a number of criminal cases including kidnapping and rape of a minor local girl”, the spokesman said.

He said Liyaqat along with other LeT militants - Gani Khawaja, a resident of Kralgund and Majid Mir, a resident of Nowpora Sopore - was involved in the murder of Hakim-ur-Rehman, a resident of Reshipora Bomai, who was shot dead on Saturday. Rehman was an activist of the hardline Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani.